Have you been in a stressful situation which left a mark in your story? I have experienced three fires in my life time. The first one was when I was ~8yrs old, the stove caught on fire. We were watching Emergency 24 at the time so watching the firemen just added to evening. My parents were thankful they paid the voluntary fire department dues that year. The second one was when I was working at Nestle and I drove home to find 4 fire engines at my duplex. I had friends help me move and provide a bed so it was easier to swallow being displaced. The last fire started at 2:30am Sunday morning and 20 units in an apartment building were affected. This one I sat and watched the flames creep underneath the roof and quickly burn the building. It was totally out of my control and I just had to sit and wait. Then slowly sort thru mybelongings-water and smoke damaged while the smell of mold was permeating the building. I didn’t realize the smell of smoke or the sound of fire truck sirens or alarms would affect me so strongly. When I began studying for my licensure exam symptoms began showing up. Several times I would wake up smelling smoke and need to check the oven. Or wake up smelling smoke with my heart racing and running out of my bedroom. Or hear the fire truck sirens and positively know my house was on fire. I felt as though I was going crazy! I wouldn’t go anywhere without my cell phone. What I learned was I had Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a severe anxiety disorder those can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. Diagnostic symptoms for PTSD include re-experiencing the original trauma(s) through flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and increased arousal—such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger, and hypervigilance. Formal diagnostic criteria (both DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10) require that the symptoms last more than one month and cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posttraumatic_stress_disorder) What helped me get past the PTSD was counseling, exercise, EMDR, Brainspotting, self-talk, supportive friends, faith and time. It did not stop overnight. It was a gradual decrease in sensitivity to the smell and sound. Even to this day when I am stressed, my sensitivity to the smell and sound increase and I utilize skills learned to soothe myself.

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